“12 Years a Slave” is a Brutal Masterpiece

Michael Fassbender (left), Lupita Nyong'o (center) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (right) turn in performances as relentless as Steve McQueen's direction in "12 Years a Slave."

Acclaimed director Steve McQueen’s new film “12 Years a Slave” has been widely talked about as a front-runner for the Academy Award for Best Picture since its premier at the Telluride Film Festival and subsequent screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival. Some, like Kyle Buchanan of Vulture Magazine, have even gone as far as saying that it has already won the award.

Believe the hype.

            

McQueen is one of the most talented directors in the world at the moment. Unrelenting and brutal in his craft, his previous film, “Shame” (2011), an experimental character study about sex addiction, though critically acclaimed, was ignored by the academy largely due to its controversial subject matter. “12 Years a Slave” will not have the same problem.

The film, though brutal, features an incredible true story of significant historical importance. It dramatizes the autobiography of the same name by Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1941. Northup, brilliantly played by Chiwetel Ejiofor (“Children of Men”) in a breakout role of sorts, witnesses and endures the unspeakable cruelty of slavery. 

True to his honest style of filmmaking, McQueen seems set on exposing slavery in the antebellum South exactly as it was with no violent detail withheld. He remains at a distance, not judging any of his characters but rather letting their actions speak for them.

When first tricked and kidnapped, Northup is savagely whipped for insisting that he is a free man. Most contemporary directors would construct this scene with one quick cut into the action of the abuse and move on. McQueen lets the camera linger uncut for several minutes while Northup is whipped over and over again. The violence is not highly stylized like it would be in a Quentin Tarantino film; it is simply unequivocal. Needless to say, this film is not for the faint of heart.

During the initial whipping scene, Northup’s captor repeatedly calls for him to admit he is a slave. But Northup refuses to give in to his injustice, and though his persistence continually results in unfathomable cruelty on Louisiana plantations, he holds hope that he will one day see his wife and two kids again.

The fact that the story is true is combined with McQueen’s uncompromising direction makes the film an incredibly powerful experience. It’s acting, however, takes it to an entirely different level. Ejiofor’s depiction of Northup is the stuff of legends and should set him as an absolute lock for a best actor nomination. Mark him down as one to watch. Michael Fassbender (in his third collaboration with McQueen) is also a force as the most evil of Northup’s slave owners, Edwin Epps, and the supporting cast featuring the likes of Paul Dano (“Little Miss Sunshine”) and Sarah Paulson (“Mud”) all turn in compelling performances.

The biggest surprise of the film is undoubtedly the performance of Lupita Nyong’o in her American film debut. Nyong’o plays Patsey, a slave so badly abused that she becomes suicidal. Her ability to simply handle the sheer emotional weight of her role in a debut is amazing in itself, but she masters it. Like Ejiofor, she is one to look out for.

All of this is more than enough to make a great film. But “12 Years a Slave” packs yet another punch: the absolute centerpiece of the year. In the scene, Northup is forced by Epps to whip fellow slave Patsey, who he has grown close to. It is shot in one continuous take and lasts for over 5 minutes. The camera weaves in and out of the action, shifting with the ebbs and flows of the scene. Dialogue gives way to a heart-wrenching score by famed composer Hans Zimmer (“Rain Man,” “Gladiator”). Characters are broken; humanity questioned. One must simply see the shot in order to experience its power and horror.

The film's negatives really all boil down to taste. Those with weak stomachs will not like it. Those who prefer light and entertaining films will probably not like it either. Fans of intimately detailed dramas and historical epics will love it, however. Tonally the film is much like McQueen’s first feature, “Hunger,” a dramatization of the prison experience and hunger strike of Irish Republican Army protestor Bobby Sand’s (played by Fassbender) in 1981. A steady, controlled pace accentuates the shocking content displayed in each. Both films are based on true historical accounts and while “12 Years a Slave” may resonate with audiences as a tale of a more horrifying injustice, they are very similarly crafted.

Though the acts depicted are despicable and often hard to watch, it is hard not to be compelled by the film’s historical weight. “12 Years a Slave” is important because it strives to depict uncensored truth, and all of its intangibles make it perhaps the first great film of the decade. (Grade: A+)

Q & A with "12 Years a Slave" Director Steve McQueen Plus Cast Members Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong'o

Acclaimed director Steve McQueen is known among cult fans as one of the harshest film makers in today's cinema. He is also known as one of the most talented up-and-comers in the business. Now his reputation is set to make its way into the consciousness of casual film fans worldwide, as his new film, "12 Years a Slave" is creating huge buzz on the film festival circuit as an early Oscar favorite. The film tells the true story of Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. McQueen was on hand to unveil his film to audiences at the New York Film Festival this Tuesday and answered questions for fans and media alike:

Director Steve McQueen at the New York Film Festival's opening
 screening of his new film, "12 Years a Slave." (Photo by Michael Iannucci)

Q: Steve, you have a personal family tree that you can trace back through your ancestors to slavery. How long has this desire to come to terms with it been brewing inside you?

A: I think it has been brewing inside me since I've been conscious of it. Someone asked me the question the other day: "When was the first time you heard about slavery?" And I could never remember. All I could remember was shame and embarrassment as a person, as a child. That was the only thing I could think of and as you discover certain things about your past you start thinking about things. But that's when things start, when you have an idea of what has gone on in the world.

Q: It would have been easy for you to make this film with a kind of anger, but you keep from moralizing in the film. How did you approach the actual shooting of this?

A: I wanted to understand it and engage with it. It was like going into someone's apartment blindfolded and you're feel, your touch, your senses, these things take over the obvious. The obvious makes you interpret things in a way which sometimes is a false because morals come into play. You have to be honest; you have to be brute; you have to be direct, otherwise you're kidding yourself.

Q: This is not a traditional narrative of the slave experience. Were you initially interested in depicting the more traditional experience of slavery before you arrived at this particular story?

A: I didn't really know what the traditional idea of slavery was. I wanted to find out what it was really. I went in with open eyes. I couldn't go in there with a preconceived notion because that's just not me. The whole idea for me was a free man who gets caught into slavery and what I liked about that is that everyone in the audience can relate to Solomon, being taken away from his family so therefore you're on that journey with him.

Q: There doesn't seem to be a real moment of despair for Solomon in the film. Does that have to do with his Christian faith, something he shares with his oppressors?

A: I didn't see it in a sense of Christianity. In the book he calls on God a lot, but for me it was about his own self-determination, courage, and the gathering up of his own will in order to keep on going.

Q: Where does the hatred of Paul Dano's character originate?

A: Our idea was that this guy was beaten by his father. I come from a West Indian family and a lot of parents beat their children. This comes from slavery. You see something and you think it's good to do to your children. That was the idea with Paul's character.

Q: How did you work with cinematographer Sean Bobbitt to achieve the images of the film?

A: I've been working with Sean Bobbitt for the last 13 years. First we talk about color. This was the first time I've shot outdoors in an environment that was so lush. Our costume designer, Patty Norris, took earth samples from all three of the plantations to match them with the clothes and talked to Sean to deal with the temperature of each plantation and each character temperature. There was a lot of that kind of minute detail.

Q: What drew you to Solomon Northup's story?

A: Solomon's story actually matched my original idea and it was just so striking. It was like a Brothers Grimm fairy tale; the darkest, deepest, most haunting fairy tales which end happily ever after but you go through hell to get there.

Q: This is your third movie with Michael Fassbender. Did you have him in mind for the character of Edwin immediately when casting?

A: Yes, he was always my choice for that and he's an amazing actor. Personally, I think he's the most influential actor of his time right now. People want to be an actor because of him; people want to be in a movie because of him; people want to make a movie because he could be in it. He has that kind of pull.

Q: Is there a certain scene from the film that stays with you when you look back on it?

A: Not really. I mean, the whole thing stays with me. It's just the experience. It's the whole shebang for me.

Q: How did you find Lupita?

A: How did she find us? I mean, over a thousand girls auditioned for this role. I got her audition tape and I couldn't believe it. I just thought, 'Is she real?' And she was. She's amazing.

Q: What did you learn about the psychology of slavey in making this film?

A: Survival. I'm here because some of my ancestors survived slavery in whatever way they could. Could you imagine being born a slave? I think that's the worst thing that could happen to a human being. Someone who doesn't think of themselves as anything other than what their so-called master thinks of them, which is nothing. It's a deep psychological wound. Deep. 

The Cast:

"12 Years a Slave" features one of the best casts of the year. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays lead Solomon Northup and is an early lock for the Academy Award for Best Actor, McQueen regular Michael Fassbender gives a powerful performance as evil slave owner Edwin Epps and Lupita Nyong'o, in her American acting debut, is undoubtedly the biggest surprise of the film as the most horribly abused of slaves, Patsey. They were on hand in New York to answer questions as well.

Steve McQueen and cast members Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender
and Lupita Nyong'o fielding questions about "12 Years a Slave."
(Photo by Michael Iannucci)

Q: Were you approached by Steve from the very beginning for this role?

Ejiofor: Yes, I've known Steve for a while. I met him for the first time after "Hunger" and that was a great film as well and I knew he was an incredibly talented director right. After a couple of years he called me about this.

Q: How did you go about humanizing the character Edwin Epps?

Fassbender: I think through the fact that he's in love with Patsey. He can't quite wrap his head around that or handle it because of the time he's in so he sets about destroying her, but I thought that was a very human aspect to the character.

Q: What was it like being on this level in your American debut?

Nyong'o: At first it was a little bit intimidating but Steve is just such a great director that it's easy to work your way into the characters and once we got going it just flowed.

Q: How difficult was it to shoot the long take in which Solomon is forced to whip Patsey?

Fassbender: That was actually a harder scene to watch, for me personally, than it was to film because there were a lot of technical elements in the scene. We knew that we were going to shoot it in one take and there were quite a few actors involved in the scene so we all had to keep our rhythms and our space in addition to keeping the rhythm with Sean behind the camera. So there's that dance going on; there's the distance between the players, the camera, and for me personally I had to hit a mark so I didn't hit Lupita but we tried to get as close as possible.

Ejiofor: I think in some of those sequences which ostensibly look hard to shoot weren't because we were very deep down the rabbit hole at that point and I think focus on set in those times was so high that we were just in there to try to tell the story.

Q: What do you walk away from this film with?

Ejiofor: So much. It was a life changing experience for me and it really opens up my work in acting.

Fassbender: Just the satisfaction of making it. It's a very important film and I'm just happy to be able to share it with everyone.

Nyong'o: An unforgettable experience. It's not every day or even every film for that matter that you become a part of something so important. 

Three Key Elements to Look for in "12 Years a Slave"

The intense physicality of both Michael Fassbender's performance and Steve McQueen's direction made "Hunger" (2008) a break out film for each. (Photo by IFC Films)

In honor of Steve McQueen's new film, "12 Years a Slave," which screens at the New York Film Festival this week, here are the top three key elements of McQueens first two films, "Hunger" and "Shame," that are likely to resurface in his newest work:

Bobby Sands (Fassbender) talking to a priest (Cunningham)
during the longest shot ever on film in "Hunger."
(Photo by IFC Films)

1. Long shots - McQueen's use of long takes is among the most powerful in recent cinematic years. His first film, "Hunger," features a much-talked about 17 1/2 minute long shot as its centerpiece. The shot, which covers the penultimate discussion between infamous Irish Republican Army member Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender) and a priest (Liam Cunningham) about whether or not Sands should begin what ultimately proves to be a fatal hunger strike in 1981, covers 28 pages of script and is considered to be the longest single shot on film. It effectively draws attention to the serious moral decision being made and sets emphasis on the next shot immediately following its cut, one that delves into the psychology of deep belief in a cause via an intense Fassbender. All that follows in the film is the direct result of this interchange; without the long shot, the film's ending would prove empty. Watch part of the long take here (the important cut comes at 7:05 and continues here).
   
   The long shot also comes into play in McQueen's second feature, "Shame." This time its use is much less important to the plot of the film, and much more important to the underlying themes of the movie not yet fully understood by the viewer at the time of the shot. After allowing his sister to stay at his apartment, sex addict Brandon (Fassbender) soon finds himself in the awkward position of playing host to a late-night hook-up between his sister and his boss. After sounds of the affair take over the apartment, Brandon goes out for a late night jog to escape. Here starts a tracking shot that follows Brandon jogging for several minutes (and many blocks of NYC streets). Brandon is both literally running away from the sex of his sister, and at the same time is figuratively running away from sex itself, as his addiction is a more serious problem than the audience is fully aware. The camera stays perfectly on pace with Brandon; running will not help him escape from his addiction.                                                                                                          
2. A direction-matching performance - In both "Hunger" and "Shame" McQueen's brutal direction style is perfectly complimented by the performances of Fassbender. In "Hunger" Fassbender's unflinchingly determined and physical portrayal of Sands matches McQueens show-all style; McQueen's determination lies in his quest to portray the conditions of Irish jails during the protests of the late 70's and early 80's exactly as they were, while Fassbender's is a literal determination to adhere to his character's  beliefs. In "Shame," meanwhile, McQueens directorial techniques play the foil to Fassbender's character's weakness, with camera takes panning to and lingering on the triggers of Brandon's addiction. Both films feature a striking physicality that is embodied both in Fassbender's actions and McQueens images.
   
   "12 Years a Slave" is McQueen's first film without Fassbender as the leading man (he is a supporting character instead), but all signs from trailers as well as early reviews are that Chiwetel Ejiofor is a force to be reckoned with as Solomon Northup; it is very conceivable that his character's determination to make it through the rigors of slavery matching what will surely be McQueen's determination to portray all the ugliness that is slavery. There is also talk of Fassbender as a towering supporting figure, and that he plays a slave owner suggests he could play a major role in McQueen's portait of slavery.                                                                                                                                                 
3. The truth - There is something about McQueen's films that make you feel as though you are watching a near synchronization of art film and documentary. This is due to many things: his lean scripts, the honest performances he draws from his actors, and his willingness to show vile and disturbing images at the risk of turning off viewers (jail walls of "Hunger" are often painted with feces by the inmates themselves). "Hunger" shows the viewer the truth behind protests (and the cruelty they often invoke) and "Shame" shows the viewer the truth behind sex addition.
   
   "12 Years a Slave" automatically has an extra built-in value of truth above and beyond "Shame", as it is based on a true story. That, combined with McQueen's penchant for truth in images, will likely give audiences a wholly authentic experience, because the disturbing images they are being shown actually happened (as was the case with "Hunger").

"12 Years a Slave" has largely received rave reviews thus far in its limited showings, and by all accounts figures to be a major contender come award season. I will be at the New York Film Festival's Oct. 8 showing of the film, so expect a review soon!